


Shore Leave

by Churbooseanon



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-20
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-05 12:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1818520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Churbooseanon/pseuds/Churbooseanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maine is scary, Wash is funny, and a skateboard doesn’t make their friendship any less stupid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shore Leave

**Author's Note:**

> A RvB Happy Hour request.

It starts as a joke. Some stupid kid on the street during shore leave boarding past them and jumping to grind on a railing and damn if the kid doesn’t fall right into Maine. There’s a snarl, low and menacing and while Wash knows it’s amusement and not threat, the kid doesn’t. There’s a shriek and then the idiot is running off like the world is ending, and Maine tilts his head in that quiet way he does when he’s regarding something strange and unexpected and not _threatening_ and then they’re both laughing. Hard, deep laughs that start in the gut and bubble forth endlessly like it’s nothing at all.

“Kid left his skateboard,” Wash laughs at last, looking at the thing a few feet away from Maine’s feet.

“So?”

“This is your fault. I’m not entirely sure how yet, but it is,” Wash insists as Maine leans down and picks the board up in one of those too large hand. Watches as Maine turns it over a few times, round and round and there is intrigue in his eyes.

“You know, you’re supposed to ride them, not stare.”

The air nearly goes out of him with the force that Maine uses to shove the board against his chest.

“You.”

Maine wasn’t vocal, never had been, but that doesn’t matter to Wash. He’s known the guy for years, was in basic with him, went through the war with him, joined this project and threw away their names together. So he understands what Maine expected, and with a chuckle Wash takes the board, puts it on the ground and steps onto it.

He ends up on his ass the first time. And the second time, and the fifteenth time on. The ninth try is the best, because he actually manages to roll a few feet forward and cheers his triumph until the board runs into a curb and his ass is dumped on the ground. Maine spends the whole time laughing, making brief, disparaging remarks. Wash takes them in the teasing spirit they are given, and almost an hour later the two of them walk off, Wash leaving the board behind with a couple of bills tucked by the wheel to apologize to the kid.

They go their separate ways for the last hour of their shore leave, like they always do. A long since agreed upon private time.

Wash never asks what Maine does during that hour. Wash uses it to shop for things he wants and needs, maybe even find a pet store so he can get a little cuddly kitty time.

They meet up at the Pelican like they always do, ten minutes before they have to head back up.

Wash doesn’t ask where the skateboard Maine pushes into his chest comes from. Doesn’t ask about the choice of a rooster and a set of joke chattering teeth painted on the bottom. Doesn’t even ask why. He just smiles at Maine, as widely as he can.

“Learn.” Maine directs him.

“I’m going to impress the hell out of you,” Wash agrees.


End file.
